Hi Raj:
A few questions...

1. Medical malpractice reform... an obvious issue, but what are your ideas, thoughts on how to reform it specifically? A few doctors have stopped practicing all together due to high malpractice insurance costs, and inability to stay afloat without even getting sued once.

2. Admirable running for office, however, having never held a political office on a grand scale beforehand, wouldn't it be better to start off small rather than going straight into a congressional seat?

3. Crime...you mentioned that it is one issue that you want to address...it affects every community both large in small...throughout this great land of ours... what are your ideas, thoughts, on prevention, or how to decrease it?

4. Are you in contact with the other south Asians running for office...(Shyam Reddy--Georgia, Bobby Jindal-Lousiana)?

5. Which politician (either living or dead) do you identify with the most.. who's ideals, values, and thoughts do you most parallel?

6. Last but not least, where do you shop for your bow ties? :)

Good luck with the election.

Hello Raj,

I'm sure this question is inevitable, so I may as well ask it now: what are your feelings on U.S. policy in Iraq, and the current Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon war? Do you have any points where you would disagree with what the approach the Bush Administration has taken?

BTW, I am in the Philly suburbs (the 9th District) -- Conshohocken.

Dear Raj,

As I'm from the UK, I'm going to take a back seat with regards to discussing any heavy political issues until this thread develops further via participation from some of our American commenters.

What I do wish to say, however, is that we're extremely proud of you; the American version of The Apprentice is shown here too, on the BBC (we may be a season or two behind the US). Personally I think you did a fantastic job; you certainly handled yourself very well (especially in some of the more adversarial situations both in the boardroom and out of it), you came across as articulate, quick-thinking, calm under pressure, and exhibiting exemplary self-assurance. In my view, the events during the episode when you left the show weren't your fault (I believe there was an issue with some of the builders/contractors). Hopefully you've also managed to catch the British version of the show, especially the recent appearances of Syed Ahmed and (last year) Saira Khan.

I'd also like to extend a heartfelt "shahbaash" to you for having the guts to approach Robin at the very end. I'm sure you remember what I'm talking about ;) It certainly raised a smile in my house.

I'll add my 5 paise later on if I can add anything worthwhile to the ensuing conversation, but I just wanted to send you a congratulatory message beforehand anyway. In the meantime, I would like to wish you the very best of luck in your political aspirations, and I hope you go very far indeed.

Warm regards,
Jai,
London

Hey Raj - what Jai said. We're extremely proud of you brotha, and there are a lot of us north of the border wishing you all the very best!

Recently, the political directions of Canada and the US have diverged on a number of key issues (trade, foreign policy). I'll keep my question broad so that you can answer the specifics as you see fit -- could you comment on the direction that Canada-US realtions have gone in and/or should be going in? What would you, as a Congressman, do to improve the situation?

Hi Raj,

I would like to direct your attention to Comments 7-9 in this thread. These comments specifically ask what Bobby Jindal is doing to help. Now that you are running for office, the same question will be asked of you.

Raj: Congratulations and Best Luck in your pursuit. Here are my questions:
1)Do you as a "republican" feel proud of our POTUS, and his ongoing "bury the head in the sand" approach towards the war in Iraq?
2)Hasn't US lost all its credibility from the perspective of the "World Opinion" with the recent events with Arab-Israel conflict?
3)Not that it matters but Your last name "Bhakta" suggests you are "devotee" of someone or something? (I hope it is not the symbolic Bow-Tie.
Once again good luck from one Gujarati/American to an American/Gujarati (I presume?)

Raj:

What are your thoughts on the immigration debate that is going on?

Best of Luck on your race.

Hi Raj,

Maurice Reeves, a Pa. blogger, said the following about the perception of desis in your state. What types of things do you propose doing to combat this image?

I have to say that in the US, in Central PA, the thoughts about Indians are that they're terrorists or that everyone with a turban must be a muslim. In the Harrisburg area, people refer to any gas station or convenience store run by a sikh as a Haji-Mart, though I try to correct people on it, it's pretty ingrained. It's getting better, as more desi move to the Harrisburg area to work on State contracts (both computing and construction), but PA by nature is generally very segregated in that area. James Carville reportedly explained PA to Bill Clinton like this: "You have two of the most liberal cities in the US at either end, and Alabama in the middle".

I don't disagree with the characterization.

Hi everyone. Great comments so far. :) One important request: could you keep your questions "organized", i.e. the way Chick Pea did here by numbering them or otherwise NOT pose questions in a giant block of text? If you want to share your opinions with Raj, please do so, but in order to make things more efficient, please use things like...punctuation, paragraphs, spacing, etc. Thanks!

Thanks for erasing the post, good to challenge a politician who is requesting money from our community with softball questions that you could ask just anyone....

Thanks for erasing the post

NATBP: Please see the comment I left just above your last...it would be wonderful if you could ask your question again, using those guidelines. Thank you so much-- sorry for the misunderstanding. We want you guys to throw everything out there: softballs, um...hard balls, footballs, etc. ;)

Not a problem about the misunderstanding, thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask again:

Raj, a few questions peppered with some thoughts:

1. What would you say to those who criticize you for requesting money specifically from the Indian Community, solely based on the fact that you are Indian - or half? I saw you at the AAHOA conference in Las Vegas requesting money, which is a smart thing as AAHOA is a very wealthy organization looking to increase its politcal influence in America. However, many attendees were questioning your motives as to why you would attend the conference with which you personally had no association with before.

2. As a desi that lives in a state outside of Pennsylvania, chances are that any influence you may have will affect me ZERO. I am all for supporting Indian politicians so we can get our feet in the political landscape and increase our currently limited influence in that realm, but do you have a better reason to contribute to your campaign then simply helping another Desi?

3. Do you think the "Hey Desis, vote for me because im Desi" method will work with the second generation of Indians? I mean it might work with some of the first generation Indians (our parents, and even at that the more politically astute ones wouldn't shed a dime without some hard facts), but while the second generation of Indians is impressed by Desis running from politics (as I am with your campaign), they would need more substance in the reasoning to donate money.

4. Do you honestly care about the second generation of Indians in this campaign, since the first generation Indians have most of the money anyways?

I apologize for my longwinded questions, but this is a forum for expressing them, so I am taking advantage of them. Hope this stays on!!! Thanks Raj and Best of Luck.

well-done, NATBP. ;)

Mr. Bhakta,

I do not live in your district but would like to get more specifics with respect to your position on environmental issues. With that in mind, I have the following questions:

1. Currently certain states, particularly the "blue" states have taken much greater initiative with respect to the environment than has the federal government. What are your thoughts on this trend and what will you do as a member of Congress to give states the support they need?

2. In my mind, global climate change is the biggest challenge facing the human race since the advent of nuclear weapons. I realize you are only one person, but how do you plan on working to build strong coalitions in Congress to strengthen multinational institutions and regimes that address this issue?

Thank you very much.

3. Do you think the "Hey Desis, vote for me because im Desi" method will work with the second generation of Indians? I mean it might work with some of the first generation Indians (our parents, and even at that the more politically astute ones wouldn't shed a dime without some hard facts)

4. Do you honestly care about the second generation of Indians in this campaign, since the first generation Indians have most of the money anyways

Translation .... The funny looking and funny accented FOBs are suckers for anything Indian. They are stupid. But "we" the "cool" second generation people are smart, dont have an accent, and we dont like to be associated with "those" people. Although us second generationers living in your state have magically different needs than the first generationers. So although I wont say what are "our" (the cool 2nd gen) issues, but will ask you will you represent our needs?? Because apparently, small govt., anti-medical liability, etc are somehow "first generation" (uncool people) issues, we dont get affected by that.

Raj, the relationship between Congress and the courts has become particularly contentious of late, with some members of Congress calling for the impeachment of certain federal judges, the oversight of the federal judiciary, and the need to drastically retool the judicial confirmation process. Certain decisions, including Kelo (upholding the government's exercise of its eminent domain power for economic development purposes), have also provoked intense reactions from the Hill.

My questions are: 1) what you believe to be the proper balance between Congressional interest in the affairs and decisions of the federal courts, and the concept of an independent, co-equal judicial branch; and 2) what form of jurisprudence you, as an Indian-American Republican, would like to see in a judicial nominee (e.g., someone who looks to the original intent of the Constitution, someone who has a record of protecting the rights of minority or politically disfavored groups, someone who agrees or disagrees with race-conscious admissions, etc.). If there is a model Justice you have in mind, I'd be interested in knowing who s/he is.

Many thanks for participating in this forum.

Hi Raj,

Identity as Indo-American
=========================
On the one hand, a Lousiana voter commented about Bobby Jindal, "How can you vote for a man whose parents are from another country?" For that voters, at least, Jindal was not American enough.

On the other hand---see Post 5---Jindal has been criticized for not doing enough for Indians. For Indo-Americans, Jindal is not Indian enough.

This is a kind of identity crisis played out in the public eye.

The questions in Post 12 are in the same vein---they challenge you to balance your need to appeal to Indo-Americans (of two generations), with the need to appeal to Americans of other ethnicities.

Questions
=========
1 You have both Indian and European blood. How are you categorizing yourself? As an Indo-American? As a Euro-American? Mixed American? Remember this is politics---if you do not categorize yourself, your opponents will do it for you, and to your disadvtange.

2 Do you have an identity crisis yourself about what you are?

3 How do you balance the need to address both (i) the Indo-American community and (2) Americans of other ethinicities?

Critique
========
In response to Abhi, you remarked Allyson Schwartz is "old, phony ...". My first impression was, "Why does Raj think he will not end up like her? Perhaps, at Raj's age, even Schwartz was energetic and idealistic. Why would not Raj be beaten down by the system, the same way as Schwartz?"

Responding to the "Translation" Post below:

How do you translate: "The funny looking and funny accented FOBs are suckers for anything Indian. They are stupid." from what i wrote below in #3. Notice that I said "might" and I also acknowledged that more politically astute first generation Indians would not vote for him simply for the fact of being Desi. Never did I say anything about funny looking or accented people, or even myself being the Second Generation being "cool" and not wanting to be associated with the First Generation.

Thats a hell of a translation you have written right there. Your defensiveness displays that you probably harbor those feelings that you wrote deep down inside, or you might be in dire need of some English lessons and a stylist.

3. Do you think the "Hey Desis, vote for me because im Desi" method will work with the second generation of Indians? I mean it might work with some of the first generation Indians (our parents, and even at that the more politically astute ones wouldn't shed a dime without some hard facts)
4. Do you honestly care about the second generation of Indians in this campaign, since the first generation Indians have most of the money anyways

Translation .... The funny looking and funny accented FOBs are suckers for anything Indian. They are stupid. But "we" the "cool" second generation people are smart, dont have an accent, and we dont like to be associated with "those" people. Although us second generationers living in your state have magically different needs than the first generationers. So although I wont say what are "our" (the cool 2nd gen) issues, but will ask you will you represent our needs?? Because apparently, small govt., anti-medical liability, etc are somehow "first generation" (uncool people) issues, we dont get affected by that.

NATBP,
Please learn to use the tools before posting. Visit our FAQ to learn how. Your comments are unintelligble because you aren't properly formatting them and this will lead to further misunderstanding.

or you might be in dire need of some English lesson

Raj, in some of ur campaign flyers I have seen, I noticed some things I felt was redundant-

u mention that u intend to work to increase the number of student visa's issued to international students coming to US?

There is currently no quota as such on student visa's and there is no need as such to increase the number of student visas.

Again, you mention about working to allow immigrant workers on H-1B to bring their immediate families?

I feel that is currently covered by the H-4 visa.

Instead of these two seemingly redundant statements I feel you should campaign for the number of good provisions already available in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, approved by the Senate, and still pending in the Congress, as far as student visas and immigrant workers are concerned.

Also in ur website the "Ten Reasons to Vote for Raj " doesnt make a single mention about combatting rising crime in Philly, which I think is a major problem facing our city.

Raj, will you categorize yourself as fiscally conservative? Do you share my concern about the current fiscal and macro-economic environment of unprecedented credit growth and runaway federal, trade and account deficits - significantly worsened under the current administration - and their implication on currency stability and future SS/Medicare liabilities? If you do, could you share your thoughts on moving us back toward a fiscally responsible smaller government?

1. Pro-choice or Pro-life?

2. For or against stem cell research?

3. Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?

4. You have, I believe, stated that the Iraq war was a mistake and that neither “WMD” nor “imposing democracy” are grounds for engaging in a war. If the Democrats gain control of the House and Senate; would you be in favor of conducting hearings on the “case for war” and the “conduct of the war so far”?

hey, some of the questions are answered on raj's page Ten Reasons to Vote for Raj to some extent (e.g., immig. reform).

hey, some of the questions are answered on raj's page Ten Reasons to Vote for Raj to some extent (e.g., immig. reform).

Excellent point, Razib. Let's use this highly unique opportunity to ask questions that we don't know the answers to, request clarifications of positions etc.

Also in ur website the "Ten Reasons to Vote for Raj " doesnt make a single mention about combatting rising crime in Philly, which I think is a major problem facing our city.

Have you read his blog?

Thanks to all for your questions and kind words.

Chick Pea,

1. The problem of excessive litigation against good doctors is huge in my congressional district. It is an issue about which I am especially passionate. There are a variety of reforms that have promise to solve this problem, one of which is to cap contingency fees for lawyers who take these cases. Another is to place caps on non-economic damages.

2. One of my goals while I’m in office is to work on defense and foreign policy. I spent much of my time at Boston College studying the history of diplomacy.
Serving in Congress would be a suitable post to work on that issue.

3. The federal government has a hand in anti-crime policy, since many local law enforcement agencies get homeland security funding. I want to make sure that such funding, as well as programs like C.O.P.S. which funds the hiring of many police officers, is kept sufficient.

4. I’m very proud of what Bobby Jindal has done as a Congressman from Louisiana and my campaign has valued his council greatly.

5. I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. The man believed in and exemplified a robust but realistic foreign policy and a domestic policy of clean government. He gave the GOP a proud tradition of respect for the environment, a tradition that we must reclaim.

6. I shop for my bowties at some big- name stores like Brooks Brothers, but I also have gotten some from a specialty store in Middlebury, Vermont that I rather like.

Amardeep,

I believe that we must suppress the insurgency in Iraq. That said, if I were in Congress when the resolution for war in Iraq was voted on, I would not have voted for the war. But nations like ours and Israel’s must recognize the threat of terrorism when it approaches, and there is, I believe, work to be done in the Middle East before a U.S. withdrawal. But we need to be thinking out of the box on these things. I fear that the administration is caught in a spiral. I’ll be speaking about this quite a bit in my campaign. I think we all must remember that no matter what we think about the war we must support the troops. My campaign recently held a fundraiser for the troops which was quite successful.

Badmash,

Our alliance with Canada is arguably the strongest that we in the U.S. enjoy. Our relationship on trade should not be imperiled by squabbling from either side. Our policy should be to knock down trade barriers on both sides, so that trade is both free and fair.

P.G. Wodehouse,

I am utterly opposed to arrests made on the basis of race. If this is proven decisively to have happened in “Operation Meth Merchant”, it will not be met with approval by me.

Also, you inquire about I identify myself. Quite simply, I am Indian-American, I am Irish-American, and foremost, I am American. I believe none of this is mutually exclusive.

Yo Dad,

1. My biggest differences with President Bush center on the question of Iraq. He has demonstrated a degree of courage, which is admirable, but the situation in Iraq required greater realism than he was willing to give it when he made his push for war.

2. I believe that America retains much strength in the world. We will keep up that strength only by being more cautious before stepping into perilous conflicts like the current one in the Middle East.

Dasichist,

On the immigration issue, it is important for the United States to bring in more of the best and brightest from around the world by increasing H-1B visas, student visas, and the like. Immigration is the lifeblood of America, and we should have a policy that reflects that while still strenuously controlling our borders so that immigrants come here legally.

Desitude,

I have taken a strong stand against the stereotyping of Indians in America since the beginning of my campaign. I voiced particular displeasure at Senator Biden’s comments implying that we are exclusively convenience store owners.

Not about to be played,

I am very proud of the support AAHOA has given me. Their goals are ones that I certainly value, since I am a hotelier of Indian heritage. Their priorities are to oppose discrimination and to keep taxes, regulations, and other hindrances to Indian hoteliers in America from disallowing us to realize the American dream.

This speaks, I think, to the reason why Indian Americans can and should support each other politically. Our values of family, industriousness, and education are shared amongst the vast majority of our community.

Sriram,

You are quite right to raise the importance of environmentalism. This is an issue on which my party, the Republican Party, must get back to its roots. We need to work on developing alternative sources of energy so that we can wean ourselves off of our addiction to oil. I support efforts in Congress to jumpstart these promising new technologies like solar energy and biofuels.

You are also correct to view climate change as one of mankind’s greatest current environmental challenge. To address it, I believe Congress must enact tough standards on carbon dioxide emissions that will bring our country into line with other nations that have addressed this issue.

Dave,

I believe that rashly calling for the impeachment of judges is a wrongheaded approach to keeping our judiciary independent. I strongly oppose the Kelo decision which expanded the governments reach on imminent domain, but I believe legislators responded to the ruling constructively, but acting themselves to curb imminent domain. I must also emphasize that I, as a congressman, would not be involved in the confirmation of judges.

Gautham,

1. I support multilateral talks to restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. With regard to the nations you have mentioned and their ties to terrorism, the United States must bring multilateral diplomatic strength to bear and force their hand without resorting to military conflict at the moment. Because of Iraq and prudent consideration, another military conflict is not a viable option.

2. I stand by the U.S.-India nuclear deal 100 percent and believe that it holds much promise to improve relations between America and India. My opponent unfortunately voted against it.

3. I believe that we as Indian-Americans must stand together and bolster our shared values of family and equality. If the various Indian communities in America stand together, we can be a strong force for anti-discrimination. We can also become a powerful force to bring together the two great democracies of the world and have the American people overall recognize the tremendous contributions we’ve made to this country.

4. I believe that the relationship between Israel and the United States is rightly valued and should be continued.

Alfie,

I appreciate your perspective on this matter. I must submit that bringing excellent students from abroad into America is not merely a matter of removing any cap on visas, but also of providing the right incentives for students to come. We need to make sure that students here on visas as well as workers here on H-1Bs do not only come here to work or study for a bit, but to stay. The temporary nature of many visas is such that many who take them leave after working or studying for a short time in the U.S. This must change. America must maintain its ability to bring the best and brightest to our shores.

On reforms to make things easier for legal immigrants, following three will help. Not sure if they are covered by the reform bill approved by senate.

1) Allow spouses of H1B visa holders who are on H4 to work in US

2) Consistent processing of F1 visa at US conulates. The applications tend to be randomly rejected based on suspicions of intent to immigrate which is subjective and impossible to disprove and means of support.

3) Improve the retrogression delays for employment-based permanent residency applications of Indian applicants. As of now, the cut-off dates for India (because of country quota) go all the way back to 2001 for EB3 category and 2003 for EB2 category. Anyone with a later priority date needs to wait for years before they can apply for a change of status. Meanwhile they are stuck at the petitioning company at the cost of raise/promotion/career growth and are also exposed to risks of layoffs and starting the whole process all over again.

Raj stated 'An important national issue that is of great importance to my district is medical liability reform. We desperately need to keep excessive lawsuits from destroying the practices of many good doctors'
Chick peae asked 'Medical malpractice reform... an obvious issue, but what are your ideas, thoughts on how to reform it specifically? A few doctors have stopped practicing all together due to high malpractice insurance costs, and inability to stay afloat without even getting sued once'

Lawsuits constitute 1% of the total healthcare cost in this country. In states, where they have enacted legislation to put limits on amount of damages one can win in a malpractise lawsuit, the insurance premiums for doctors have actually risen more than in states where you can sue your doctor for a gizillion dollars.

QUESTIONS FOR RAJ:

I am really interested in your views on the scope of the President's power in general? As the current President will leave in 2008, I and fellow mutineers are interested in your views on the scope of executive power under any President. Specifically if you were a Congress member, would you oppose the

(a)President's signing statements on bills where the President gives his own interpretation on the nature/enforcement of the bill. The current President has added these signing statements on over hundreds of bills. For example, when President Bush signed a law that banned the cruel or inhuman treatment of foreign prisoners, he added a statement saying he would not be bound by the law when it unduly limited his ability to protect the nation.

(b)Do you agree with the President's line item veto proposal? Bush is now pressing for a modified, weaker version of the line-item veto bill which was held unconstitutional by the SCOTUS in 1998.Instead of being able to strike items from bills, he would send one or more items back to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Present law permits Congress to ignore these proposed rescissions, but under the Bush proposal lawmakers would have to vote on them. If majorities in both the House and the Senate agreed with the president, the cuts would take effect.

(c)Do you agree with the President's stance on enemy combatants?

(3)

Raj - How may I [a broke graduate student] help?

Dipanjan,

I would absolutely consider myself a fiscal conservative and am dismayed by the current level of deficit spending. I support reforms such as the line-item veto that will restrain spending.

Tef,

1. I believe that the number of abortions currently being performed is a tremendous misfortune. I support efforts, such as the ban on partial-birth abortion, to make our policy toward the unborn more humane. I recognize that Roe v. Wade is broadly recognized as a settled case.

2. I favor stem-cell research and believe that it has much promise. We must, however, not allow any form of cloning to be used in the process.

3. Though I believe that marriage is fundamentally between a man and a woman, it is unacceptable that some couples are not getting hospital visitation rights and other rights that heterosexual couples have long enjoyed.

4. Hearings too often turn into political events for grandstanding and often no real solutions are offered. I believe we desperately need some fresh thinking on Iraq. But we won’t find real solutions unless the conversation on Iraq is serious.

And now, I must be off to a campaign event. Thank you all very much for your excellent questions.

Raj --

Thank you for making time to take questions from the community -- the thread is still open, so I hope you will continue to answer questions.

Can we get more specifics from you on immigration reform? The issue is too important to the community for us not to try to talk about it more concretely.

1. How would you have voted on HR 4437, the enforcement-only bill that passed the House last year with the support of the House GOP leadership? And why?
2. Same question on the comprehensive bill that passed the Senate in the spring, and why.
3. More generally, what is your position on legalization? If you support some form of legalization, do you support a guest worker program or a program that would give individuals a pathway to permanent residence? And why?
4. Your web site says that you want to see "stricter standards for asylum applicants" -- what would those standards specifically entail, and as specifically as possible, why?

I also am interested in your responses to Al Mujahid's questions above re: the scope of executive power.

Thanks again, Raj.

Abhi, will you be extending the same opportunity for Raj's opponent to answer questions from the Mutiny? Seems appropriate.

I am curious as to why Raj did not answer my questions. I hope it was inadvertent. My three basic questions on the scope of the President's/executive power go to the very heart of the seperation of powers doctrine and future power sharing between the executive and the legislative will be shaped by the current policy debate on this very issue.

Raj --

I am utterly opposed to arrests made on the basis of race. If this is proven decisively to have happened in “Operation Meth Merchant”, it will not be met with approval by me.

The important issue is not whether you or anyone will "meet [Meth Merchant] with approval" AFTER it has been "proven decisively" to have been race-based -- most reasonable people will have the same position at that point.

Rather, the important questions are:

(1) What your reaction to the situation is based on what we unquestionably do know (which has been discussed in the previous Sepia posts on the subject), and

(2) What would you do -- certainly if you were in Congress, but even now as Candidate Bhakta -- to help ensure that the true facts come to light, so that what happened can be "proven decisively" one way or another. The judge in Atlanta apparently is not much interested in actually finding out the truth about what happened and the US Attorney's Office/DOJ have not actually been all that forthcoming in defending their investigation.

In short, is your position on Operation Meth Merchant limited to what you would believe once it is "proven decisively" what happened? Or do you have any position on what you plan to do now to help ensure that those facts will actually come to light?

I see Raj did say that he favors the line item veto reform though he addressed that to Dipinjan. As Raj didnt answer my other two questions, I am not sure whether he believes in a strong executive or his motivation is deficit spending. Actually apart from diminishing the role of Congress, there is an excellent argument to be made that the line item veto will balloon the federal deficit and and not reduce it.

In response to Abhi, you remarked Allyson Schwartz is "old, phony ...".

Raj, what exactly makes her a "phony" -- that word is pretty provocative but doesn't actually explain very much. Can you elaborate with specifics about her, and not just the general charge about politicians in general?

Abhi, will you be extending the same opportunity for Raj's opponent to answer questions from the Mutiny? Seems appropriate.

I also just noticed that you linked to Raj's "get involved" button. Again, in the interest of fairness, it probably makes sense to have an equivalent button for his opponent's web site. (For your convenience, here's the link: http://www.allysonschwartz.com/free_details.asp?id=21.)

Unless, of course, Sepia Mutiny already means to be endorsing Raj.

Incredibly Allyson Schwartz's webpage on her stance on issues is blank.
Raj's webpage on issues does have this:
National Security
We as Americans owe our gratitude to those who serve in our military. Many say that they "support the troops." We must back up those words with action. I will ALWAYS vote to make sure our servicemen and women have the tools they need to keep themselves safe when they are in harm's way. I will NEVER vote to cut off funding for our armed forces when they are serving in battle.

Abhi, will you be extending the same opportunity for Raj's opponent to answer questions from the Mutiny? Seems appropriate.

I am not sure about that. Some people on SM might have a special interest in Raj because he is a desi american. I dont see why Abhi has the obligation of providing equal space to his opponent. I am not sure if anybody on here cares about his opponent anymore than they care about the hundreds of people running for the US Congress in safe districts.

Please do NOT post under multiple handles. Thank you.

I hope this was not addressed to me!

Sepia Mutiny is, and always has been, a non-partisan blog that doesn't endorse any candidate or political party. You will note that nowhere on this website is there any endorsement of this or any other candidate. We write about and feature desi candidates from a variety of parties including, in the past, Democrats, Republicans, and Greens. Just about every candidate I've ever written about we have put up a donation button for an yet this is the first time I've heard anything about it from you AK.

Nobody from Ms. Schwartz's campaign has contacted us and there is no reason to believe she is even aware of our website. Therefore, it is fairly likely that I won't be interviewing her.

i use multiple handles....

Some people on SM might have a special interest in Raj because he is a desi american.

Maybe so, but for other people on SM, the determination of whether Raj should be supported will be based in part on an assessment of the alternative, and what her positions on various issues might be.

I am not sure if anybody on here cares about his opponent anymore than they care about the hundreds of people running for the US Congress in safe districts.

Well, maybe no one else cares, but I do. Before deciding whether to give money or to support Raj or anyone else, at least for me it's helpful to know what the alternative is and to have that be a considered choice. I'm sure that Raj himself would be among the first to say that nobody in the South Asian community should support him just because he's South Asian -- just as non-South Asians shouldn't support his opponent just because they aren't South Asian.

But I agree that there's no obligation for Abhi to provide "equal time." More than anything else, was just trying to make a suggestion that might be of interest to a number of folks who read/comment here -- and he is of course free to take or leave that suggestion.

And just so there is no misunderstanding, I think it's fabulous that Abhi et al have taken the initiative to have this extremely interesting Q/A, and that they've done so in such an open way that includes questions from the peanut gallery. (And as I think about it more carefully, it certainly wasn't fair of me to imply that giving this opportunity to Raj implies an endorsement of his candidacy unless the other side has an opportunity for equal time.) Thanks, Abhi!

xo
ak

Raj,

1) Your infamous exit on The Apprentice exemplified that you know how to accept a non-ideal situation with positivity and style. What are your plans to continue working toward your political ideals IF this election does not work out for you?

2) I vaguely remember some mention of regard for Winston Churchill in the past. If so, to what extent does he factor into your current ideals?

Sepia Mutiny is, and always has been, a non-partisan blog that doesn't endorse any candidate or political party. You will note that nowhere on this website is there any endorsement of this or any other candidate. We write about and feature desi candidates from a variety of parties including, in the past, Democrats, Republicans, and Greens. Just about every candidate I've ever written about we have put up a donation button for an yet this is the first time I've heard anything about it from you AK.

Our comments have crossed each other. You're right, and I apologize for the snarky comment about endorsements, which is of course not fair. I think I reacted to this post differently because you haven't had an interview format quite like this one, which does create a bit of a different feel for the post than others in the past. But the implication about endorsements wasn't a fair one.

hey, you didn't get the idea from my 10 questions series, did you? :)

Abhi, will you be extending the same opportunity for Raj's opponent to answer questions from the Mutiny? Seems appropriate.

Although Abhi has already address the above concern from a commentor, I would add my 2 cents.

The reason why TV should give equal time is that TV uses the public's airwaves and the spectrum (which should be owned by public and not GE, Disney, Viacom or Rupert Murdoch). Until the day cable TV is free (which will never happen), network TV must give equal time.

Its absolutely stupid in my opinion for Desis to be wedded to the Democratic party. There is hardly any difference between the two major party anyways. Desis should try and get get those people elected who will genuinely care for Desi related issues, period. Well, unless you want to "save the world". Otherwise a lot of "Operation Meth Merchants" will go on without anybody doing anything about it.

RC, I don't think that I disagree with much of what you have to say -- the point you make about supporting people who "genuinely care for Desi related issues" is an important one. Of course, what that actually means might require further conversation amongst all of us, but I don't disagree with you.

The main point of my suggestion about making the offer to Raj's opponent was not at all that she somehow is automatically entitled to the community's support because she's a Democrat. I don't believe that, and I actually don't know anything about her at all. If I suddently found myself registered to vote in that district I sincerely don't know who I would vote for. But that, actually, was the more important thing I was trying to get at -- it might be useful for folks in this space to know a bit more about the candidates and issues in context, regardless of who they ultimately decide to support. And I would have had exactly the same reaction if the interview were with a South Asian Democrat.

But again, the suggestion was intended to be a suggestion, rather than a deep criticism.

Sepia Mutiny is, and always has been, a non-partisan blog that doesn't endorse any candidate or political party. You will note that nowhere on this website is there any endorsement of this or any other candidate. We write about and feature desi candidates from a variety of parties including, in the past, Democrats, Republicans, and Greens. Just about every candidate I've ever written about we have put up a donation button for an yet this is the first time I've heard anything about it from you AK

Then how about an interview with Vijay Prasad about Raj Bhakta. He's desi.

To offer a platform to Mr. Bhakta without offering one to his opponent puts you in a position of having given space to him and his views, many of which have nothing direct to do with being desi, and results in a one-sided discussion. Partial-birth abortion? Party affiliation? Medical malpractice reform? Lebanon and Israel?

Your political philosophy is a breath of fresh air. I hope you make it to the national stage at some point, and I'm cheering you on from North Carolina. Good luck.

Then how about an interview with Vijay Prasad about Raj Bhakta. He's desi.

Well, if we went with that criteria, SM could interview anyone brown about any candidate-- where would we draw the line? How many desis would we interview about how many candidates? Would we only cover political hopefuls about whom brown people you deem worthy have some sort of opinion?

There's something directly relevant about having a dialogue with a desi candidate who may attract interest (and contributions) from the diaspora, because of a shared ethnicity. Beyond all that, I'm far more interested in what Raj Bhakta has to say about Raj Bhakta, not what Vijay Prasad thinks about him.

And now some questions for Mr. Bhakta:

1. Mr. Bhakta, is it in fact true that you tried to raise money from AAHOA? If this is the case, why would you seek to raise money from an organization that attempted to bring Narendra Modi, someone many human rights observers attribute at least partial responsibility for the pogroms in Gujarat, for your campaign?

2. What is your specific policy proposal to end global warming--i.e. what specific set of laws and policies do you think the American government should implement (please include an opinion on the Kyoto protocol in your answer)?

3. Mr Bhakta, you say that you "believe in small government, and clean government" What would you do to transform the Republican caucus to be less corrupt and driven by lobbyists? What assurances can you give voters that you will not vote in lockstep with the Republican Caucus in the House, as is practice in the House for both parties?

4. What do you think of the recent effort by the House Republican leadership to tie a minimum wage increase (which hasn't increased in several years) to repealing a tax on wealthy people passing their wealth on to the next generation?

5. What is your specific policy proposal on providing universal health care to Americans?

6. You say "I believe in teaching people how to fish in indeed of giving them hand-outs day by day. In this sense, I’m a Republican." Who do you believe is accepting handouts? What specific programs are they receiving them under? What would you replace these programs with?

7. According to statistics from the Department of Justice, a Black male in the United States in 2001 had a 32% likelihood and a Hispanic male has a 17% likelihood of entering state or Federal prison at some point int heir lives, in contrast to 5.9% for White males. To what do you attribute this?

8. Again according to statistics from the Department of Justice: "As of December 31, 2001, there were an estimated 5.6 million adults who had ever served time in State or Federal prison, including 4.3 million former prisoners and 1.3 million adults in prison."

To what do you attribute this?

9. You were arrested twice for DUI. What have you learned from this?

10. You say "It’s always been my intent to run for political office." Why did you, as a child, want to run for office? How do you respond to those that would argue this indicates deep-seated political ambition rather than a commitment to Pennsylvania's 13th district or the issues that affect it?

11. Do you support the current U.S. funding of the militaries of both India and Pakistan? Why or why not?

Thanks sincerely,
Saurav

Mr. Bhakta, is it in fact true that you tried to raise money from AAHOA? If this is the case, why would you seek to raise money from an organization that attempted to bring Narendra Modi, someone many human rights observers attribute at least partial responsibility for the pogroms in Gujarat, for your campaign?

Oh give me a break. So now all the hotel owners of America are Hindu fundamentalists eh?

here's something directly relevant about having a dialogue with a desi candidate who may attract interest (and contributions) from the diaspora, because of a shared ethnicity.

My point (as well as others') was balance--I mean, you have a link to volunteering for his campaign at the end of the post...you're not exactly being impartial here to disparate political views.

I just threw out Vijay Prasad's name as someone who might be critical of his views and is desi, since you've stated that as your criteria. If you don't want to give his opponent space, at least give someone critical of his views (besides Abhi, who is constrained by the fact that he's the host here) an opportunity to comment in depth (as opposed to having to throw out questions which may or may not get answered).

But maybe you're right and it's better to just let things play out as they will. If that's the case, I'm just curious what rules you're applying to how Mr. Bhakta answers questions. Is he required to answer all questions? Does he choose which questions he has to answer? Do you?

In any case, I appreciate the experiment and the opportunity to pose questions directly, though I think it could have been a little better thought through.

Oh give me a break. So now all the hotel owners of America are Hindu fundamentalists eh?

If I told you that an organization that had sponsored a visa for a prominent member of the IRA to come speak at their conference and had later been solicited by Ted Kennedy's campaign, you don't think that would be legitimate grounds for a question? It may be a tough question to answer, but I hardly think it's out of line.

In any case, I appreciate the experiment and the opportunity to pose questions directly, though I think it could have been a little better thought through.

Of course you do.

Mr. Bhakta, is it in fact true that you tried to raise money from AAHOA? If this is the case, why would you seek to raise money from an organization that attempted to bring Narendra Modi, someone many human rights observers attribute at least partial responsibility for the pogroms in Gujarat, for your campaign?

I was waiting for this one. Hallelujah !!! Oh yeah, you missed the customary Hitler reference !!

Mr. Bhakta, is it in fact true that you tried to raise money from AAHOA? If this is the case, why would you seek to raise money from an organization that attempted to bring Narendra Modi, someone many human rights observers attribute at least partial responsibility for the pogroms in Gujarat, for your campaign?

Shhhh....You dont want the H-1b warriors to know this or they would start lining up outside his house to fund his campaign.

Saurav & AMFD:

Re: AAHOA

Ah, the guilt by association argument. I agree, Saurav, it's "hardly think it's out of line" to bing it up, but where does one draw the line at support and mere association. After all, I recall AMFD saying he'd done some work for CAIR, to which Vikram (I think) provided some evidence of CAIR's association with terrorists...a tactic, I recall, that AMFD did not take kindly to.

Manju:
I am not suggesting that Bhakta should or should not take money from AAHOA. I am merely pointing out the fact that associating Modi with AAHOA with Raj Bhakta might make Raj Bhakta an attractive candidate in the eyes of most H-1B warriors.
Btw the analogy of CAIR does not work here. The analogy would be of one or two individual members of AAHOA associating with Modi after once working for AAHOA.

I guess I should have said some H-1B warriors and not most H-1B warriors as I am speaking from mostly personal observations.

If I told you that an organization that had sponsored a visa for a prominent member of the IRA to

Like Gerry Adams who comes to USA every year@ St. Patrick's Day and meets all the prominent Irish-American politicans. He does not have a clean slate either:

Adams has stated repeatedly that he has never been a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), but some British and Irish state papers released under the "thirty year rule" named him as a senior IRA figure in the early 1970s. He was arrested after the La Mon bombing in 1978 (in which 12 Protestant civilians were burned to death) and was charged with IRA membership. Adams denied the membership charge, threatened to sue reporters who repeated the charge,....

I guess Gerry Adams is too sexy as a Sinn Fenn leader to be protested, Hmm Saurav.

When does desi pride descend into the moral equivalent of white pride? We didn't come here on slave ships and we're not exactly powerless. Our brown skin does not determine our politics, as Saurav's articulate posts clearly demonstrate. And while there may be some "desi issues"--like outsourcing--there's hardly any desi consensus on these issues, as anyone who reads SM knows. And even if there is, does that make dissenters desi Uncle Toms?

So Mr. Bhakta wants help from the South Asian American community b/c we are South Asian. I suppose one issue that unifies us would be that we are opposed to discrimination. But at this pace we're about to have the Pogo moment: "we have met the enemy and it is us."

Mr. Bhakta should be elected because his politics are good for all Americans. Period.

Perhaps Al Mujahid's eloquent comments about desi Republicans would be something that Mr Bhakta might want to address...

Al Mujahid for debauchery on July 16, 2006 09:16 AM

The Desi republican ragheads are too busy camouflaging their head gear so as not to get outed while they attend the Conservative Action Political Conference to listen to their political gods. Link

Vikram,

I did not try to excoriate Bhakta as I was respecting Abhi's wishes: Myself and the other bloggers will moderate. This means please be polite and respectful to our guest. Hopefully we get this kind of direct interaction with others in the future and it would be a shame to set a bad example here

.....so I did not ask Bhakta about my July 16th comment.

Btw I do apologize to you for not replying to your two emails on CAIR. I do intend on doing that though.
Peace.

My point (as well as others') was balance--I mean, you have a link to volunteering for his campaign at the end of the post...you're not exactly being impartial here to disparate political views.

saurav, so what? it's a desi blog and it's perfectly legitimate to profile desi candidates. i would never in a million years vote for the brother, but i was very glad to see the questions posed to him and also his responses. i think we're all mature enough to form our own conclusions and opinions. we don't need to be spoonfed some opposing view.

I just threw out Vijay Prasad's name as someone who might be critical of his views and is desi, since you've stated that as your criteria. If you don't want to give his opponent space, at least give someone critical of his views (besides Abhi, who is constrained by the fact that he's the host here) an opportunity to comment in depth (as opposed to having to throw out questions which may or may not get answered).

but saurav, this is an open comment thread. anyone here is welcome to put forward that critical perspective. we don't need to reach out to vijay prashad or anyone else to get an opposing perspective. you could write one up and post it in the comments. anyone could.

But maybe you're right and it's better to just let things play out as they will. If that's the case, I'm just curious what rules you're applying to how Mr. Bhakta answers questions. Is he required to answer all questions? Does he choose which questions he has to answer? Do you?

again, who cares? the point is, abhi said what the rules were: in this case, the interviewee was free to pick whichever questions he wanted. and the interviewee did just that. so anyone with an iota of political judgement can make up their own mind about raj's answers to the questions he answered, and his non-answers to the questions he didn't. again the presumption here is that everyone reading this blog is mature enough to form their own opinion. now if raj was running against another desi candidate and we only featured one of them, then of course that would be wrong. but he isn't. a pennsylvania political blog can do a balanced critique of the two candidates. that isn't our mission here. the brother is a republican, he's running, good for him. i wouldn't vote for him (and he won't win anyway), but i'm glad we let him have his say here.

peace

again the presumption here is that everyone reading this blog is mature enough to form their own opinion. now if raj was running against another desi candidate and we only featured one of them, then of course that would be wrong.

siddhartha, having opened this pandora's box, and perhaps not in the most constructive way, let me just -- tentatively, respectfully, gently, in the spirit of offering a suggestion about a self-described "experiment" -- offer a response to what you say here that doesn't presume lack of maturity on anyone's part, for certainly that isn't an assumption lying behind where I'm coming from at all.

it's one thing to profile desi candidates and not their non-desi opponents. doing an interview/dialogue of this sort, however, really does seem to be a different kind of endeavor for which a different kind of approach could be appropriate. especially for now, i emphasize "could" -- personally, i don't think that any of this falls into the category of "right" and "wrong," and don't want to be understood as suggesting that. not least because what you do with this space -- your space -- is hard enough work as it is, and that largely makes your choices your prerogatives. i get that, and i respect it a great deal. but i also emphasize "could" because i would hope that all of us could have more open and tentative dialogue more often, and a bit longer, before our positions harden into rigid debating postures and sniping with each other, as they so often do (mine included).

all of those caveats having been said, my own tentative view is that having interviewed a desi candidate in this space, it does seem worthwhile to try to offer their non-desi opponents the same kinds of opportunities.

for one thing, as you've suggested before (correctly, in my view), establishment politicians of both parties are self-referential and largely white. making the same opportunity available to a desi candidate's opponent facilitates the opportunity to chip away at that and exercise some measure of engagement and accountability. the fact that we have a desi candidate -- very much to his credit, and very much to all of yours for facilitating the opportunity -- willing to take questions directly from mutiny readers and commenters gives us leverage to try to insist that his non-desi opponent engage our communities as well. but only if we think it important that she do so. i would assume that most of us here think that it is, otherwise we wouldn't be reacting to things like biden's comments in the way that many of us here did.

for another thing, it would help us avoid falling too easily into the trap that our communities (and other communities of color) often fall into of feeling obliged to make judgments about whether to support candidates solely on the basis of their race alone -- or put more bluntly, to conclude that we should be supporting brown people just because they are brown. if our communities are politically mature, then to some extent we all should be capable of looking both at race and beyond it, simultaneously, in deciding whether to support one candidate or another. (kinda like walking and chewing gum at the same time.) just because someone is south asian doesn't automatically mean they deserve the community's support.

all of that makes it incredibly relevant what a desi candidate's opponent does or does not have to say -- and indeed, whether they respond by taking the opportunity seriously, treating it in a half-assed way, or just ignoring us altogether -- when given the opportunity to engage our communities on substantive issues in a race like this one. at this level, raj's campaign could be a victory for the community -- even if he loses the election -- to the extent that his presence in the race shapes the debate and the priorities to which his opponent pays attention. but that won't happen by itself.

so at the end of the day, perhaps the most important level of fairness involved here is not to one candidate or another -- but rather to ourselves, as a community. the fact that raj is willing to engage this community gives us an opportunity with respect to his opponent that we could be trying to take advantage of. more than anything else, not trying to do so strikes me as possibly a missed opportunity. otherwise, perhaps we aren't really doing as much as we could be, as a community, to make a dent in the number of situations in which we think we have little more basis on which to evaluate non-desi candidates than what they say about how many of us work at dunkin donuts and how many of us are doctors and engineers, or whatever.

and trying to take advantage of that opportunity does not strike me as "spoonfeeding" or presuming lack of maturity on anyone's part, though perhaps your comment was not really suggesting as much.

buthavingsaidallofthatifyoualldontagreeitsyourblognotminesopleasedontgetmadatmeistillrespectallofyouandthinksepiaisfabulous. and please try to restrain the monkeys from launching tomatoes at me. ;)

*ducks for cover anyway*

p.s. -- i don't vote for you to be like fox. to the extent i get a vote. ;)

a graphic illustrating the process of blog death.

Abhi - great interview. Thanks for bringing topics like this into the spotlight!

a graphic illustrating the process of blog death.

I second that motion ;)

Everyone, let's be careful not to destroy this thread in classic desi style. Raj Bhakta is a well-known desi personality -- here in the UK too to some extent, as I mentioned earlier -- and Abhi has fortunately been able to secure an online "town hall conference" with him despite the demands on the latter's time. Given Raj's political aspirations I'm sure he could have made an excuse not to waste his time fielding questions on an internet blog from a bunch of anonymous South Asians whom he doesn't know. But he didn't. So I think both parties here deserve a round of applause and hopefully it's been an enlightening and constructive experience for all concerned.

Let's not overcomplicate the matter. SM is not an out-and-out political blog (unlike its British equivalent, Pickled Politics), so for his part Abhi is under no obligation to pursue other desi candidates from the same -- or opposing -- political parties. I'm assuming he just thought this would be a good way for everyone "out there" to chat one-on-one (so to speak) with a well-known and fairly popular American desi person, ask him about his political thoughts if they wished to do so, and that's all there was to it.

I do, however, think it would be wise for "Evil Abhi" to not overreact too much to what was presumably some well-meaning objective, constrictive criticism (which is not to say it was correct, but getting different viewpoints is always a good idea), although I do fully understand why he may be sensitive to any actual-or-perceived criticism, considering that SM is his own private project and, of course, the effort it no doubt took to be able to secure Raj's participation here.

In any case, I think both Abhi and Raj deserve everyone's thanks and appreciation for taking the time out to do this. I'm sure we all support them in that regard.

people... chill out.. it is a question/answer forum, ask questions, get answers.. it's a very simple concept...

these political/bashing debates between commenters really does get old.. and are pretty damn uninformative, and just plain feels like i'm watching a 4 year olds in a sandbox...

as we try to respect raj bhakta, don't forget to respect each other...

the bean is over and out.

In any case, I think both Abhi and Raj deserve everyone's thanks and appreciation for taking the time out to do this. I'm sure we all support them in that regard.

agreed...

as we try to respect raj bhakta, don't forget to respect each other...

and agreed.

i wouldn't vote for him (and he won't win anyway), but i'm glad we let him have his say here.)

Lol @ Sid. Aw, come now: the real issue is that come Election night, whether Raj wins or loses, he's almost certainly getting a third DUI.

I enjoyed reading this "meet the candidate" experiment and the discussion that followed. I have a couple humble suggestions that SM is completely free to ignore, but might make for a more constructive discussion next time. Given the number of questions directed at Mr. Bhakta, it is no surprise that his responses were somewhat lacking in substance as they had to be an inch deep and a mile wide. I suggest that next time the SM folks have readers submit questions, and then they can distill them down to 10 or so that will be sent to the candidate. The candidate can then take his/her time answering them and then those answers could be posted. Obviously this is dependant upon the cooperation of the candidate, but given that there are very few high profile desi candidates, they might be willing to participate. This approach might also be criticized by those who are critical of SM's editorial process, but I think it is a more efficient approach that will lead to actual answers to important questions rather than the single sentence responses we received.

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."

-Ludwig Wittgenstein

and i normally hate that pretentious f**k :)

let's not let tragedy of the commons reign folks.

peace.

word to wittgenstein!

true dat, razib, true dat. speaking for myself, i got love for all of y'all brown people.

Paging SM Intern...Paging SM Intern....

Wow! Two years after a fake-news-TV-host hauled a bow-tied anchor's ass over coals on national TV (said anchor incidentally having accused sir Stewart of mollycuddling Kerry in an interview on his own show), we now have one fake-opinion-site accusing another fringe-news-blog's moderator of ass-fanning to a bow-tied politician, ai Ayatollah! ,the symmetry boggles my mind.

I invoke Shabana's law following comment #58.

Per a reader's good suggestion this comment thread has been cleaned up to get us back on track. Comments outside the scope of the interview have been deleted.

Really enjoyed this post; nice one, Abhi.